University of Sussex
Browse
fphys18.pdf (1.58 MB)

Stochastic effects in autoimmune dynamics

Download (1.58 MB)
journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-09, 11:53 authored by Farzad Fatehi Chenar, Sergey Kyrychko, Aleksandra Ross, Yuliya KyrychkoYuliya Kyrychko, Konstantin BlyussKonstantin Blyuss
Among various possible causes of autoimmune disease, an important role is played by infections that can result in a breakdown of immune tolerance, primarily through the mechanism of ``molecular mimicry". In this paper we propose and analyse a stochastic model of immune response to a viral infection and subsequent autoimmunity, with account for the populations of T cells with different activation thresholds, regulatory T cells, and cytokines. We show analytically and numerically how stochasticity can result in sustained oscillations around deterministically stable steady states, and we also investigate stochastic dynamics in the regime of bi-stability. These results provide a possible explanation for experimentally observed variations in the progression of autoimmune disease. Computations of the variance of stochastic fluctuations provide practically important insights into how the size of these fluctuations depends on various biological parameters, and this also gives a headway for comparison with experimental data on variation in the observed numbers of T cells and organ cells affected by infection.

Funding

EPSRC Doctoral Training Partnership 2016-17; G1950; EPSRC-ENGINEERING & PHYSICAL SCIENCES RESEARCH COUNCIL; EP/N509784/1

Chancellor's Award; University of Sussex

History

Publication status

  • Published

File Version

  • Published version

Journal

Frontiers in Physiology

ISSN

1664-042X

Publisher

Frontiers Media

Volume

9

Page range

45

Department affiliated with

  • Mathematics Publications

Research groups affiliated with

  • Mathematics Applied to Biology Research Group Publications

Full text available

  • Yes

Peer reviewed?

  • Yes

Legacy Posted Date

2018-02-02

First Open Access (FOA) Date

2018-02-02

First Compliant Deposit (FCD) Date

2018-02-02

Usage metrics

    University of Sussex (Publications)

    Categories

    No categories selected

    Licence

    Exports

    RefWorks
    BibTeX
    Ref. manager
    Endnote
    DataCite
    NLM
    DC